To the editor:
I am neither a fan of tax and spend, nor am I a fan of deficit spending. Bonds turn me off and my children are out of school (and have been for over a decade). Okay, I said it. So why am I so emphatically supportive of Proposition 468?
In my humble opinion, no one has done a better job with the “crumbs” that are handed out by the state than the dedicated folks at the Vail School District and they need much more help than the state is able to provide, they need us. Many platitudes come to my mind, all well-earned, but what really drives me is knowing what drives them, the same drives us.
The district is the heart of our community, our home, and the importance of “doing education right” should be a beacon to us all. From any viewpoint, it is not hard to see the good. Selfishly, it is good for my property values, good schools attract home-buyers, a no-brainer. But, let’s look at long-term: workforce development for instance. Look at the growth that is happening in Tucson in general, companies are already having a hard time filling jobs. How disappointing it is that our children become educated here and leave, starting their careers and families outside of Southern Arizona. The attraction the district has must be trans-generational: we’ve got to take care of the now and attract the future back with the same solid foundation for their children. This is a community-wide effort, together we can make this happen even better, but we are on slippery ground right now, there is no time to waste.
The needs of the district are immediate. Almost every day we hear about new “things” happening in the Vail/Corona Community. This means families are moving in now, this means we need new schools now, this means we can’t wait for the state. Bottom line? On a $300,000 house, we are talking under $20 a month! I’m frugal, some may say cheap, but this is a no brainer! Please vote yes!
Peter H Minot and Tammy L Minot, Corona de Tucson.